Doubly-special relativity

Doubly-special relativity (DSR)— also called deformed special relativity or, by some, extra-special relativity — is a modified theory of special relativity in which there is not only an observer-independent maximum velocity (the speed of light), but an observer-independent minimum length (the Planck length).

DSR is based upon a generalization of symmetry to quantum groups. The Poincaré symmetry of ordinary special relativity is deformed into some noncommutative symmetry and Minkowski space is deformed into some noncommutative space.

In Mathematics, Noncommutative geometry, or NCG, is concerned with the possible spatial interpretations of algebraic structures for which the commutative law fails; that is, for which xy does not always equal yx. For example; 3 steps of 4 units and 4 steps of 3 units length might be different in noncommutative spaces.

in other words the distance between points a and b can take one of two values depending on how you calculate it. now the math is far beyond me but it occurs to me that one could see this as an explanation for why moving objects contract. the distance across a region of space occupied by an object as seen by the object itself would be different from the distance across the same space as seen by photons.